Degrassi Multi- Gerneration
by itcantbetrue
Summary: Clare and Drew are brother sister,...
1. Chapter 1

*Ok so i'm pretty sure this story isn't all that great..but comments would be AMAZING! haha*

*RING RING*

I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock blaring in my ear. "UGH!" i groaned. It continued for a minute and my older brother Drew stormed in.

"Will you turn that fricken thing off?!" he yelled. His hair was so messy it was hilarious.

"Sorry, i hope I didn't disturb your beauty sleep!" i said sarcastically and rolled out of bed.

"Shut up," he said and began to walk out.

"Wait!" i called and he turned. "Mom said that you were giving me a ride since it's my first day at Eastwood High."

"What? Oh yeah. I guess. Just be ready in twenty minutes and don't be late. I'm not waiting for you." he said and strode out of the room.

I hurried to get ready. First day of highschool. No big deal right? WRONG! Huge deal! What if nobody liked me? As we got in the car my mind was still spinning.

Drew looked at me. "Don't worry," he said comfortingly and i smiled.

My heartbeat quickened when i got out of the car. There were so many people here. I had thought i knew most of the people around my age. Apparently i was wrong.

A smile spread across my face as I saw a familiar person walking up to me.

I saw my best friend Adam walking up to me with a grin.

"Hey Clare!" he called with a grin.

"Adam!" I yelled so glad to see a familiar face. i jumped into his arms and hugged him.

"Whoa. Why so happy to see me?" he asked but didn't pull away.

"Omg. I was just so freaked out! I don't know like ANYONE here!" i said and pulled away.

"Well you know me," he said and smiled again.

"Thank you!" i said and hugged him again.

"Hey Clare!" Drew called and i turned around. i knew my brother was the one who called me but i couldn't take my eyes off of the guy standing next to him.

He had sandy blonde hair that was messy but still amazing looking. His eyes were a blue green that i couldn't look away from. He had a tan and a smile that took my breath away.

"Clare? Anyone there?" Adam asked and waved his hand in front of my face.

"He...Is...gorgeous," I breathed.

"What?" Adam asked as I ran over to my brother.

"What's up Drew?" i said but i couldn't help glancing at the guy next to him.

"I just wanted to make sure you were ok. You seemed freaked out earlier." he said.

"Yeah, I'm fine," i said.

"Oh, this is Sean," Drew said gesturing the the hottie next to him.

"Hey," he said and grinned. "It's nice to meet you," he went on shaking my hand.

"Y-you too," I stuttered. He was still touching my hand. I loved it.

"Ahem," Adam said breaking my trance. "Um, Clare, we gotta get to class," he reminded me.

"Oh, um, right. Bye Drew, bye Sean," my voice lingered on his name.

"Bye," Drew said and walked away. Adam was walking away from me already when Sean leaned down.

"I hope I see you later," He whispered and winked as he walked away.

I sighed and blushed. "Me too," I whispered as i watched him walk into the school.

Adam was saying something to me but i didn't hear. i was already in my own day dream, the star was Sean. A junior! He was two years older than me but he wanted to see me later!

I absolutely couldn't wait to see him was in almost all of my classes. I liked that and he seemed to also. Another good thing, Sean was in most of my classes too! He was even my partner in chemistry. Adam didn't seem to like that, but i didn't understand why.

"Gross." Adam said as we walked into the cafeteria.

"What?" i asked.

"School lunches. I'm gonna miss that edible stuff i have at home," he said and sighed.

I laughed. "Me too," I said and began walking to the salad bar.

"Salad?" he asked. "Aren't you going to be hungry?"

"No," i answered and began getting my lunch.

"Whatever. I'll save you a seat," he said as he walked off to get his lunch.

I assembeled my salad and was distracted by thoughts of Sean. He'd wanted to see me!

"Hey," a familiar voice said. I looked up to see Sean smiling at me.

"Hi!" i said a little to eagerly. I tried to calm down. "What's up?" i asked.

"I was wondering," he began but then stopped.

"About what?" i asked.

"Are you and that Adam guy dating?" He finally asked.

I laughed. "No, we're just best friends."

He grinned. "Good." he said just as Adam walked up.

What's good?" Adam asked.

"The fact that Clare here is still single," Sean said and gave me a flirty smile.

I blushed but smiled back.

"Come on," Adam said and dragged me to our table.

"Why'd you do that?!" i asked annoyed. I wanted to talk with Sean.

"I don't like that guy," Adam said taking a bite of his food. i think that it was supposed to be a cheeseburger.

"Why not?! He seems nice to me," i said stabbing my salad. Why did Adam have to dislike Sean?

"Yeah right," he said and rolled his eyes.

"What's wrong with him?" i demanded and glared into Adam's eyes.

"He likes you. And he's two years older. I just don't want you to get hurt," he explained.

"Look, i don't need you to protect me!" i said a little too loudly. Some people turned to look at us.

"What if you get hurt?" he asked quietly.

"That doesn't matter! We're not even dating!" i argued.

"And you shouldn't." he said.

"I dont' care what you think! Just leave me alone!" I yelled and ran out of the cafeteria. I leaned against one of the lockers and started crying. Adam and i never fought. Whenever we did, we were always both too nervous to apologize. We ended up not talking for days. i slid down and put my head in my hands and cried.

"Want me to drive you home?" Drew asked as he pulled me into a hug.

I sniffled. He was the best big brother. "Yeah. Thanks," i said.

"No problem," he said and we walked to his car.

So much for high school starting out well.


	2. Chapter 2

Drew dropped me off at home and then went back to to tell my teachers i got sick. I went to my room, dropped my stuff and sprawled on my bed.

Why did we get in that dumb fight? It didn't even make sense! What about Sean made him so mad? After staring at my walls for a while, I decided that i needed to get out.

I grabbed my cell phone and left my house. I walked straight to the beach. It was my best place to think. I'd just listen to the waves and let the water was up on my toes. I always went, when life got to be too much.

I sat down in the sand and brought my knees up to my chest. I wrapped my arms around them and put my chin on my knees. The waves crashed. The sound helped to clear my head. The salty air filled my lungs.

Out of nowhere, the tears started again. I don't know where they came from. But i couldn't get them to stop. A sob ripped through my chest.

"It's ok," a voice murmured to me and two arms wrapped around me. I looked up to see Sean.

"What are you doing here?" i croaked through a couple of sobs.

"Drew told me that you were upset. I wanted to make sure you were ok." he said.

"How'd you find me though?" i asked. I didn't care though. I was happy he found me...I was also happy that he had cared if i was ok.

"Your brother said that you liked going here when you wanted to be alone." he said.

I pouted. I thought i'd kept this place a total secret.

"Is it ok that i came? I'm sorry." he said and seemed to blush.

I grabbed his hand. "Thanks for coming." i said and leaned my head against his shoulder. The tears were pretty much gone by now.

"What happened?" he asked gently.

I sighed. "I got into a fight with Adam." i explained.

"Oh. What about?" he asked.

"You," I said and blushed.

"Me?" he asked. His tone was shocked.

"Yeah. He doesn't like you," I explained.

"What? What'd i ever do to him?" he questioned.

"Nothing. It's just..." i stopped talking. I didn't want Sean to know what Mitchel thought.

"Just what?" he asked.

"Nothing," I repeated and looked down. The blush came back again.

He lifted my chin with his finger. "You can tell me you know."

i looked into his eyes and sighed. "Ok. So Adam thinks that you like me and that since you are two years older you would hurt me. I thought that that was stupid and told him to butt out. He said he was trying to protect me but i just told him to leave me alone." i explained. The words came out in a barely comprehensible rush.  
.

"Oh." He said. "Well he was right about one thing."

What? I looked at him with such a confused expression that he chuckled.

"He was right about the fact that i do like you." he said and smiled.

I was shocked. Inside i was screaming and jumping up and down. He liked ME! On the outside, i couldn't seem to be able to move.

"Um...I'd feel so much better if you would say something." he said and looked embarassed.

"You like me?" i asked still unsure.

"Yes. I really do." he said and looked deeply into my eyes.

I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him. He hugged me back and i heard him laugh.

"I hope this means that you like me too." he said.

"YES!" I yelled and pulled away. He kept his arms wrapped around my waist and smiled. I grinned back.

I just stared into his eyes and got lost. I just got caught up in the moment and leaned up. He was a lot taller than me so i had to stand on my tiptoes, and then I kissed him. It was magical. Everything around us disappeared. None of it mattered. It only mattered that we were here.

I finally pulled away and looked at him. He grinned.

"Sorry," i said kind of embarrassed.

"For what?" he asked.

"That was...really sudden. I don't want you to think we're moving to fast," i said and looked down.

"Hey," he said and lifted my chin again. "I'm not complaining." With that he kissed me again. We only pulled away when we felt the first drops of rain hitting us.

Hey," he said and lifted my chin again. "I'm not complaining." With that he kissed me again. We only pulled away when we felt the first drops of rain hitting us.

"Do we have to go?" I asked tracing his lips with my finger.

"Yeah," he said with a voice full of regret. "Drew's gonna pissed enough when he finds out we kissed. I don't need him killing me for keeping you out in the rain all night too."

I laughed and we started walking. Sean grabbed my hand. "Yeah." i agreed, then it hit me. "Wait, what are we going to tell him?" i asked.

"Um," Sean said and paused. "Well...we could tell him that we are dating? i mean...if you want to."

I beamed and kissed him again. "Yeah. Do you think he'll be mad?" I asked my voice full of worry. "I mean, you are his best friend and I'm his little sister."

"Yeah he'll be pissed. But don't worry, i know him. He'll just be mad at me. He can't stay mad at you." He said and grinned.

My forehead creased. "I don't want him to be mad at you." i said.

He sighed. "I don't see any way around it." he said.

I thought about that. "We could keep it a secret?" I suggested.

"No. If he found out we lied to him, he'd definitely kill me." Sean said and shook his head.

"I'm sorry," I said and leaned my head against his arm as we walked. "I'm gonna get you in a fight with your best friend." The guilt washed over me.

"Don't be sorry. My friend being mad at me for a while is a small price to pay if it means that i get to date you." He said and smiled.

I grinned back. I looked in front of us. We were at my house. Drew would be freaked out that i wasn't home. I took a deep breath and we walked towards the door. It swung open and Drew stood there.

"Here we go," Sean whispered to me and we walked forward to greet him.  
I grinned back. I looked in front of us. We were at my house. Drew would be freaked out that i wasn't home. I took a deep breath and we walked towards the door. It swung open and Drew stood there.

"Here we go," Sean whispered to me and we walked forward to greet him.

"Clare! Where were you?" he asked. His expression went from worried that i'd been gone, to relieved that i was back. Then it changed again, suspicion haunted his features.

"Um, i was at the beach. I needed some time to think." i said.

"Ok. Well, why's Sean here?" He asked. seemed to notice the electric charge between the two of us.

"Um..." i began.

"I found her there. And we walked home." Sean said quickly.

"Ok..." Drew said and his eyes narrowed. "What else happened?" he demanded.

"Can we come in first?" i asked.

He sighed. "Sure," and opened the door a bit wider.

We all walked to the living room. Drew sat in the single chair while Sean and I sat on the sofa. It was awkward as we waited for someone to speak first.

"So...The whole story," Drew finally said.

"I got in a fight with Adam today." I started looking down.

"What?" Drew asked shocked. "You two never fight."

"We usually don't," i continued. "But he was being a jerk about Sean and I just got so mad. We started yelling at each other and i finally told him to just leave me alone to live my life. That's when i ran into the hallway and you found me."

"And then i drove you home. What happened next?" Drew asked warily.

I sighed. "Well, like i said i was really upset. Then i went to the beach to think about things and Sean found me there. We started talking and he comforted me about the fight." I smiled at him. "He's really sweet."

"Where is this going?" Drew demanded. He could tell that we were trying to avoid something.

"Look man, we both admitted that we liked each other and kissed-" Sean began.

"I kissed him!" i interrupted.

He smiled at me quickly but then continued. "We kissed and decided that we wanted to try dating. Then it started raining and we walked home."

He'd left out all of the times we kissed, but that was probably for the best. I didn't want Drew to explode.

With the story over, Sean and I sat there anxiously awaiting Drew's reaction.

He just sat there and watched us intently for a few seconds. and then he sighed deeply.

"Clare, why'd you have to choose my best friend?" he asked but not in an angry way.

"Um..." i didn't know how to answer that. "Wait. Why aren't you mad?"

"You thought that I'd be mad?" He asked.

"C'mon," i said and gave him a look.

He laughed. "Yeah. You're right, i guess i probably would be mad. But i can't be. You guys are just so damn happy."

I grinned. "Really? So it's cool with you if we date?"

He groaned. "Yeah. i guess it's fine with me. But you do have to ask Mom and Dad."

Crap. I hadn't thought about that. "Where are they?" i asked. might as well get it over with.

"They're not home now. They left on another business trip." he said and anger was plain in his voice. He hated that our parents left us alone so much. He had always been the one to take care of me. He was always the one i went to for advice or anything i needed.

"Oh. I'll tell them when they get back." I decided and then stood up.

"Where are you going?" Drew and Sean asked.

"Backyard. I think it stopped raining." i said and walked out.

We still had the swingset that Mom and Dad had got me and Drew when we were little. i sat down in the swing and watched the sun setting.

"It's beautiful," I murmured to myself.

"You're beautiful." Sean said as he came up and sat on the swing next to me.

I blushed and looked over. "Thanks."

He just smiled and then kissed me. We kissed for a long time until I heard the gate creak open as someone walked into the backyard.


	3. Chapter 3

He just smiled and then kissed me. We kissed for a long time until I heard the gate creak open as someone walked into the backyard.

I looked up to see Adam standing there with a hurt expression. He saw us, shook his head and turned to leave.

"Adam!" i called and ran after him.

"What?" He asked in a sad voice as he walked away.

I grabbed his arm and forced him to stop. "I'm sorry." i said.

"Why? What did you do? You told me to leave you alone but I didn't. You lived your life and got together with Sean. It doesn't hurt you. Why do you care if I'm miserable?" he asked and looked away from me.

Tears formed in my eyes and i tried desperately to keep them inside. How could he think that i didn't care about him. "How could you even consider me not caring for you?" I asked hurt.

"I'm sure you'd rather be with Sean right now. Just go. I'll be fine," he said and tried to walk away again.

"No!" I yelled and he looked down at me. "I care about you more than you can even imagine! We're best friends and it kills me when we fight. I missed you so much during the four hours when we were fighting. I can't handle being away from you." i said as my tears streamed down my face.

"I'm so sorry," he said and hugged me tight.

"What are you sorry for?" i asked and sobbed. I buried my head in his shoulder.

"I made you cry. It's the worst thing ever when you cry," he said and rubbed my back trying to calm me down.

"It's ok. It's really my fault," I said.

"Yeah it is," he joked and i laughed. I pulled away and wiped my tears with my hands.

"Are we done fighting?" I asked.

"Yeah. We're done fighting." he said and smiled. He put his arm over my shoulders as we walked back to my house.

We were laughing as we got inside.

"Looks like you two are friends again." Drew observed as he looked up from some football game on tv.

"Yeah," I said and smiled.

"That's cool." he said and turned back to the tv. I looked next to him and saw Sean.

"Hey," he said when he saw me looking at him.

"Hi," i said and walked over with Adam. I sat on the arm of the sofa next to Sean and he pulled me into his lap. "Fancy meeting you here," I said and giggled.

He just smiled and then kissed me.

"Come on guys!" Drew complained. "I said I was okay with you dating, but seriously I do NOT want to see any of THAT!"

"I agree," Adam piped in and made a gagging sound.

Sean pulled away. "Shut up," he said but turned back to the tv.

I watched them all look intently at the tv. i sighed and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Sean asked.

"This game is kind of boring and I'm hungry. I'm going to go make dinner." i said and walked to the kitchen.

I opened the fridge and thought about what i wanted. Macaroni and cheese sounded good so i pulled out cheese. I put it on the counter and grabbed the other things i needed. As i started mixing the cheese over the stove I felt someone wrap their arms around me.

"Hey," a voice whispered in my ear.

"Hi," i said and twisted around to see Sean. "I thought that you were watching the game."

"It's boring compared to talking with you." He said and smiled.

"Aw," I said and hugged him. His arms wrapped around me again and he hugged me back for a long time.

You're gonna make me burn my food," I said and laughed.

He chuckled. "Sorry." He said and pulled away.

I just smiled and finished making my food. Sean sat on the counter next to me and watched me the whole time. I put it on the table and walked back to the living room.

"You guys hungry?" I asked.

"Starved." Adam answered and smiled.

"Well then get in here." I said and smiled. "I made macaroni and cheese."

"Cool." Drew said and followed.

I sat down and Adam sat next to me. Sean and Drew sat next to each other with Sean sitting across from me. While we ate, we talked and laughed. Finally, Sean and Adam said that they had to go home.

"Bye baby," Sean said at the doorway and kissed me.

I kissed back until Drew cleared his throat. I pulled away blushing and Sean drove away.

"Um, Clare?" Adam said as Drew walked upstairs.

"Yeah?" i answered.

"I...I..." he said. "Um...Nevermind." He said and rushed out. It looked like he was blushing.

What was that about? i wondered.

I got ready for school and ran downstairs. If i wasn't outside in five minutes, I'd be late. Drew had to leave early and that left me walking to school.

I looked at the clock, 7:15. "Crap," i said and hurried outside. I was about to start walking to school when i saw a car pull into the driveway. I looked inside to see Sean sitting there smiling.

"Hey," he called and got out of the car.

"HI!" i said and jumped into his arms. He hugged me back but then pulled away. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I thought you might need a ride to school," He said with a smile.

"Thank you soooo much!" I said and kissed him. "I thought i was going to be late."

"No problem babe." he said and got into the car. I got into the passenger seat and we drove off to school.

"Clare!" Adam called as we got out of the car.

"What's up?" i asked as i hugged him.

"I wanted you to meet someone." he said. "Hey Eli, come over here!" A tall brown haired guy walked over. He saw me and his eyes lit up.

"Why hello there," he said and took my hand. "I'm Eli," he went on and kissed my hand.

I blushed. "Clare. Um, are you Adam's friend?" i asked.

He smiled. "I'm his cousin. I just moved here."

"Oh. Cool," I said and smiled.

"Ahem." Sean cleared his throat.

"Oh sorry. Eli, this is my boyfriend Sean." I said gesturing to Sean.

"Aw."Eli said and shook his head. "I should've known that such a beautiful girl would be taken."

I blushed scarlet. "Thanks." i said and looked down. Eli was really sweet.

The bell rang. "Oh, we have to get to class," i said and dragged Sean away with me.

"I don't like that guy," Sean grumbled as we walked away.

I kissed him. "Don't worry. I'm yours and you're mine. Nothing is going to change that." i reassured him.

He smiled. "Ok...but i still don't like him."

I rolled my eyes and we walked off.

*With Eli and Adam*

"Wow man. Not obvious at all." Adam said and began to walk away.

"What do you mean?" Eli asked pretending to be oblivious.

"You are so in love with Clare." Adam said and laughed.

"No. But i like her." He said.

"Back off. She really likes this Sean guy," Adam warned.

"Well...maybe she could like me too. I'm not giving up," Eli said and walked away. Clare!" Eli called and i turned to see him running up.

"Hey Eli!" I said with a smile.

"So...I was wondering..." he began.

"About?" i asked.

"Wanna ditch with me?" he asked.

"What?" I said surprised.

"We only have two more classes. Come on...Please?" he begged.

I thought about it...But i had already missed the last classes yesterday. I didn't want a ton of make up work.

"I'm sorry. But i can't today." i said and began to walk away.

"Why?" he asked as he followed me.

"I have to keep up my grades and a whole load of make-up work really won't help." I said and smiled at him. He smiled back.

"Fine...But can we hang out after school?" he asked.

"Sure," I answered. "Where?"

"How about I meet you in front of the school and I'll take you." he said.

I pouted. "Can't you tell me? Please?" i begged.

"Nope. It's a surprise." he said and grinned.

"Ugh! Fine." I said.

The bell rang again. "See ya later!" Elisaid and hugged me tight. "Bye." he said as he kissed my cheek and ran off.

I walked off to class and saw Sean sitting in the back looking upset.

"Hey sweetie," i said. "What's wrong?"

"You have to ask?" he asked in an annoyed tone.

"Um...Are you mad at me?" i asked warily.

"I'm more mad at Eli! I can't believe that he kissed you!" he said and glared at me.

"On the cheek! It's just a friendly gesture! They do it in France!" I argued back.

"Are you saying that you don't like him?" he demanded.

"YES!" i yelled.

"Yes you like him?"

"No! I mean yes you're right, i don't like him!" I said.

"I'm confused." he said.

"I don't like him! I like you!" i explained.

"Ok good. But I don't want you to see him anymore." he said.

"What?!" i said.

"I don't want you to see him. He likes you and i don't want him to be flirting with you...Or kissing you.." he added and clenched his fists.

"Ok you can't tell me who to hang out with." I informed him.

"I know..but just don't hang out with this guy." He said.

"No. I'm hanging out with him this afternoon so deal with it." i said and turned away. I hated how he tried to tell me who i could hang out with! Eli seemed like a great guy and i was going to hang out with him.

"Clare?" Sean said.

I ignored him and listened to the teacher.

Class ended and I rushed out. After school I met up with Eli. I couldn't wait to see him after my fight with Sean.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Yeah. Let's get out of here." i said and walked away with him.

Class ended and I rushed out. After school I met up with Eli. I couldn't wait to see him after my fight with Sean.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Yeah. Let's get out of here." i said and walked away with him.

He brought me to the beach in his car. We walked around for a while until one of us spoke.

"Are you ok?" Eliasked me.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," I lied.

He pulled my arm and made me turn to look at him. "No you're not. You look upset. What happened?" he asked.

I sighed. "You don't wanna know."

He shook his head. "No i do. Please tell me." He looked me straight in the eyes and i saw so much concern i had to give in.

"Okay." i said. "But let's sit first."

We sat down a few feet away from the ocean and looked into the sunset.

"So...tell me." he said.

"Sean and i got into a fight." I whispered.

"I'm sorry. What was it about?" he asked. I could tell that he was really worried about me.

"He saw you kiss me on the cheek. I told him that it was no big deal but he didn't believe me. He told me that you were someone I needed to stay away from and i just snapped. I couldn't handle it! i mean, i understand that he cares about me and everything, but he can't control my life!" the memories of the fight were causing tears to form again.

"He...wants you to stay away...from me." Eli repeated. He sounded sad.

"Yeah." I said. "But I told him that he couldn't choose who i could or couldn't hang out with and ignored him for the rest of the class. I hate fighting with him." i said and the tears overflowed.

"Shhh.." Elisaid and pulled me into a hug. He let my tears soak into his shirt as he comforted me. "It's ok." he murmured.

I pulled away and looked at him. "Thanks for listening to me complain." i said and wiped the tears from my face.

He took his finger and wiped a tear i missed. His eyes held mine. "Don't worry about it." he said.

I smiled and he smiled back. Before i knew what he was doing, he began to lean in...

turned my face so that he kissed my cheek again.

"I'm sorry," i whispered.

He looked away. "It's okay."

I turned his cheek so that he was looking at me. "You are really sweet and a great friend but I'm dating Sean." i explained.

"I thought that you were mad at him," He grumbled.

"Just because we're in a fight, doesn't mean that we won't make up." i said a bit mad.

"Sure," He said but it didn't sound like he believed me.

I sighed. There was nothing I could do to make him see. I stood up.

"Where are you going?" he asked and grabbed my wrist.

"Home. Drew's going to be worried about me and I need to...think." i said and pulled away.

"Are you mad at me?" Eli asked and i stopped.

I turned to look at him and he looked upset. He didn't want us to be in a fight.

"No," i said. "I'm just...stressed. i need to get home and think about everything. Thanks for listening though." I said and walked off.

I took the time walking home to think about everything. Why couldn't I go one day without getting into a fight with someone i cared about? Yesterday it was Adam, today it was Sean. Maybe it was hanging out with guys all of the time. I decided that tomorrow I would find a friend that was a girl. Maybe that would make things better.

I walked into the house slowly.

"Hey!" Drew said and walked up to me. "Where were you?"

"Beach." I said.

"Where's Sean?" he asked.

Tears began forming. I really missed Sean and everytime someone said his name I felt like sobbing. "I don't know." I whispered.

He scrutinized my face and then pulled me into a hug. "What happened?" he asked.

The tears overflowed...again. "I got in a fight with Sean. That's it." i said through sobs.

He sat me down on the couch and looked at me. "Tell me the whole story." he demanded.

I told him everything. Including the parts about the beach with Eli. I looked up to see his reaction.  
He sat me down on the couch and looked at me. "Tell me the whole story." he demanded.

I told him everything. Including the parts about the beach with Eli. I looked up to see his reaction.

"Wait...maybe you shouldn't hang out with this Eli guy. If Sean thinks that he's not good for you to be around. He's just trying to protect you." he said in a soothing voice.

My eyes narrowed. "Of course YOU would side with him! I can't believe you two! Just leave me alone! I think that I can tell who's trouble for myself!" I said and ran outside again.

I really hoped Eli would be gone by now as I ran towards the beach. He was gone so I slowed to a walk and stopped a few yards from the ocean. I watched the sun sink even lower below the horizon. It would be dark soon. The wind whipped my hair back but I didn't care. I just watched the waves crashing and tried to clear my mind.

"Excuse me?" A voice said behind me.

I turned to see a girl walking up to me. She seemed about my age but I didn't know her.

"Hi," i said and reached out my hand. "I'm Clare."

She shook my hand and responded. "I'm Ali . I just moved here. I don't want to be rude, but you seem kind of upset." she said in a shy voice.

"Nice to meet you." I said and sighed. "And you were right, I am upset."

"What's wrong? I mean, if you don't mind me asking," she said.

"I am in fights with my boyfriend, my new guy friend, and my brother. I can't handle it!" I fumed.

"Wow. Sounds like you are around guys all of the time," she observed.

I sighed. "Yeah. I really need another girl to hang out with." I said.

"Well...I'd be willing to be your friend," she offered.

I smiled. "Thanks. I'll take you up on that offer. Do you want to come meet my brother?" i asked.

"I thought that you were in a fight with him?" she asked.

"Yeah I am. But I'm going to apologize. He was basically just in the wrong place at the wrong time so I blew up at him." i explained.

"Oh. Okay." She said and smiled. "I'd love to meet him."

We talked all of the way back to my house and I realized that she sounded like a really cool person. I could feel a real friendship blooming.

We got home and Drew was sitting on the couch.

"Hey," I said kind of nervously. I hope he wasn't mad at me.

"Hey Clare," he said nicely. "Feel better?"

"Yeah," I said and smiled.

He smiled back. "Good." he replied and then looked to Ali . "Hi, I'm Clare's older brother Drew." he said and shook her hand.

She smiled. "Why hellooo there!" she said in a flirty voice. "I'm Ali .."

He smiled back. "Ok Gee. See ya later Clare, I'm going over to Sean's house." he said and left.

"OMG! Your brother is HOTT!" Ali squealed.

I made a face. "Um...ok." I said and laughed.

She laughed along. "So wait, I thought Sean was your boyfriend?" she asked.

"He is," I answered and walked into the kitchen. "Want something to eat?" I offered.

"Sure." she answered but then continued. "But if Sean's your boyfriend, then why is your brother going to hang out with him?"

"They were best friends first," I explained as I put a bag of cookies on the counter and poured two glasses of milk.

"Ohhhh...So when do I get to meet this boyfriend?" Ali asked as she took a bite of cookie.

"Um..." i began. I wasn't sure. "I don't know," I admitted.

"Oh, I see." she said and nodded.

Someone knocked on the door and I rushed to get it.

"CLARE!" Adam yelled and pulled me into a back breaking hug.

"Can't...breathe!" I said and he released me.

"Eli told me what happened with you and Sean and I came by to see if you were ok." He said and followed me into the kitchen.

"I'm fine-" I began.

"Who's this?" Ali interrupted me in a VERY curious voice.

"I'm Adam," Adam answered and shook her hand.

"I'm Ali," she said and smiled flirtily.

They kept grinning at each other until I cleared my throat.

"Oh um...I have to go," Ali said and got up. "I'll see you tomorrow though Clare!" she said and hugged me.

"I have to go too," Adam said. "I'll walk you home." he said to Ali and they left together.

I cleaned up after our snack and went into my room. I just laid in my bed and eventually fell asleep. I was awoken by a noise outside.


	4. Chapter 4

I sat up in my bed afraid. Something tapped against my window again. I cautiously walked towards the window and looked down. Sean was standing there looking up at me. I slid open the window and leaned out.

"Sean! What are you doing here?!" I asked.

"Come down." he said.

"What?! That's crazy!" i said. I was on the second floor and the only way to get down, would be the trellis next to my window.

"Trust me!" He called. "I'll make sure you're ok."

I sighed. "Fine!" i said and reached out for the trellis. I slowly made my way down and was about halfway there until I slipped. I fell into Sean's arms and we both fell back into the grass.

I was on top of him and I looked down to see him smiling at me.

"Told you I wouldn't let you fall," He said and grinned.

I rolled my eyes and got off of him. "What are you doing here?" I asked again.

"I came to apologize." he said and looked into my eyes.

I didn't say anything so he just continued. "I shouldn't have tried to control you like that. I just...seeing some other guy flirting with you made me so...jealous! I couldn't handle it! You were right though, you should be able hang out with who you want to." he finished.

I looked at him for another minute and he got even more nervous and embarrassed. He was about to say more when I jumped into his arms and kissed him. He seemed shocked but kissed me back.

"Thank you," I whispered and kissed his cheek. My legs and arms were wrapped around him and he held me up.

"You're welcome. So you forgive me?" he asked.

Instead of answering him I kissed him again. He didn't pull away for a long time, but eventually did. "I should go home," he said sadly.

I pouted. "Do you have to?" I asked.

He smiled. "Yeah. If my mom sees that I am gone, I'll be grounded forever. And I can't be grounded if I plan on taking you out on a date on Friday night." he said.

I grinned. "We're going out on Friday?" I asked excitedly.

"Yeah. But I have to go now." he said walked me back over to the trellis. He laughed at my grimace. I didn't want to have to climb back up. "Don't worry," he whispered and stayed until I was safely in my bedroom.

I leaned out of my window again and watched him leave my backyard. We were good again. I smiled and went back to sleep and smiled as I dreamt of Sean. I woke up the next morning and rushed to get ready. I couldn't wait to see Sean and Ali. I raced downstairs and saw Sean's car outside.

"Hey!" I called to him and hugged him.

"Hey sweetie," he said and kissed me.

I pulled away and smiled. I got in the car and told Sean all about Ali as we drove to school. We got out of the car and he grabbed my hand as we walked into the school.

"CLARE!" Ali called and ran up to me.

"Hey Ali!" I said and hugged her. She looked up and saw Sean.

"Heyy," she said in a flirty voice. "I'm Ali, who are you?"

"Um, I'm Sean," he said and put his arm around my waist.

She looked at me with an apologetic look. "OMG! I'm sorry! I didn't know that THIS was Sean!" she said in a rush.

I laughed. "It's ok Ali. I know you didn't mean anything by it."

She smiled. "Thanks! Hey...have you seen Adam around?" she asked.

"Um-" i began but then Ali turned and saw Adam.

"OH! I'll see you later. Bye!" she said and pecked my cheek. "Adam!" she called as she ran up to him.

"She seems...energetic," Sean observed with a laugh.

I laughed along. "I know. But she's amazing. Really fun to talk to and...I think she and Adam really like each other." I said and smiled.

"Good," he said as we walked to class.

Classes went by in a breeze and finally it was time for lunch. I got a salad and walked up to our table. We were all laughing until she walked up. Classes went by in a breeze and finally it was time for lunch. I got a salad and walked up to our table. We were all laughing until she walked up.

Her name is Holly J. She's the school bitch. She decides who she likes every year and if you get in her way, she WILL destroy your life. Drew had told me all about how she ruined his ex girlfriend.

"Hey Sean," She said with a flirty look at him.

"Um...hi." he said but looked away.

She persisted. "So...I decided. We should go out sometime. Pick me up at 7?" she said.

"Actually...No." he said and her mouth popped open in shock. "I don't like you. Besides. I have a girlfriend."

"What?!" she growled. "WHO?!"

"Clare ," he said nonchalantly and put his arm around my waist.

I hesitantly looked up to see her glaring at me. She looked like she wanted to claw my eyes out.

"You?" she asked in a forced calm voice.

"Yeah." i said in a small voice.

She leaned in and got inches from my face and whispered so quietly that only I could hear. "Watch your back."

I gulped and turned away.

"So Sean, call me if you change your mind," she said with a wink and walked away.

I swallowed back tears as I turned back to Sean. "I'm going to go to the bathroom." i said and got up.

I practically ran outside of the cafeteria and into the nearest bathroom. I slumped down the side of the wall and started crying. Why couldn't people just let me and Sean be happy and together? Why did Holly J have to hate me?

As these thoughts kept raging on my sobs became more and more uncontrollable.

"Aw! Honey it's okay," someone said and rubbed my back trying to soothe me. As these thoughts kept raging on my sobs became more and more uncontrollable.

"Aw! Honey it's okay," someone said and rubbed my back trying to soothe me.

I looked up and saw Ali there. "No it's not!" i said and hugged her.

"Shhh...What's wrong?" she asked and rubbed my back again.

"Holly J...she's going to destroy me and steal Sean!" i sobbed.

"What? No she's not! I wouldn't let her hurt you! And Sean would NEVER!" Ali promised.

I sniffled. "Thanks, but I'm not sure there's much we can to do stop her." i said.

"Yes there is! She will NOT hurt you," Ali promised and helped me up. "Now let's wipe those tears so you can be nice and pretty for Sean." she said and smiled.

I smiled back and washed my face off with cool water. I felt better and looked a lot better too.

"Ali?" i said.

"Yeah," she said as she opened the bathroom door.

"Thanks," I said and hugged her.

She hugged back. "No problem."

We walked back to the cafeteria together. I bumped into someone.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," i said as I bent down to help her pick up her things. It's okay." she said and looked up. "Oh, I'm Imogen by the way."

I smiled. "Nice to meet you," I said and handed her her things. "I'm Clare ."

"Hi." she said and put her things in one of the lockers by the cafeteria. Eli walked by and she stared. "Wow," she whispered.

I saw and smiled. "You like Eli?" I asked.

She blushed. "What? No..." she said and closed her locker. "Do you know him?"

"Yeah. We're friends." i said.

"Lucky," she said.

I laughed and Holly J walked out of the cafeteria. She saw me and walked over. "Hi there Sandy."

"It's Clare ," I corrected.

"Who cares?" she said and pushed me onto the ground. "You're still on the ground." she said with a smirk and walked off.

Imogen reached out her hand and helped me up. "You should forget about her. She's a biatch."

"Thanks," I said. "You seem really cool Imogen," I said with a smile.

"You too Clare ," she said and smiled back.

Ali, Imogen and I all walked into the lunch room laughing.

I finished the day pretty much unscathed and Sean caught up to me next to his car.

"Hey babe," He said and kissed me.

"Hi," I said and smiled. Through the corner of my eye I saw Holly J glaring so I tried to ignore her.

"We're going somewhere this afternoon." he said as we got in the car.

"Where?" i asked curiously.

"You'll see." he said as we drove off and arrived at a small park. He took my hand and led me to a part of it with green trees and flowers everywhere.

"Wow," I said and smiled.

"I know," he said and leaned down to kiss me.

I kissed him back and smiled just enjoying the moment.  
You'll see." he said as we drove off and arrived at a small park. He took my hand and led me to a part of it with green trees and flowers everywhere.

"Wow," I said and smiled.

"I know," he said and leaned down to kiss me.

I kissed him back and smiled just enjoying the moment. He pulled away.

"So, you looked kind of upset before you went to the bathroom earlier," he said as he put a stray strand of my hair behind my ear.

"Did I?" i asked trying to hide it.

He looked at me. "What was wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing." i lied and sat down on the grass.

He sat beside me. "You know, i find that kind of hard to believe."

"Sean, can you just drop it?" i asked.

He scrutinized my face for a while and then sighed. "Fine."

I put my palm to his cheek and kissed him. "Thank you," I said.

"So...are you excited for our date tomorrow?" he asked.

I grinned. "Yes! Can you tell me where we're going...so I can...um...choose an outfit!" i asked.

He smiled. "Nope!" He said and grinned.

"Grrr." I said. He chuckled and kissed me again.

"You wanna come to my house?" he offered.

"Sure," I said. Inside i was burning with curiousity. I've never been to his house.

"Cool." he said and took my hand as we walked to the car.

We pulled up to his house and walked in.

"SEAN!" I heard a girl's voice calling.

Why was a girl in Sean's house? Then a girl who seemed about my age bounded down the stairs. "SEAN!" she yelled again.

"What?!" he asked in an annoyed tone.

"Did you borrow my ipod?" she demanded.

"No Andrea. Why, lose it again?" he asked.

"Shut up! I have to go! My friend is picking me up to go to practice soon and i need it!" she complained.

"Well, sorry! I really don't know." he said and walked me to the couch.

"UGH!" she said and stormed upstairs.

"Um..." i said VERY confused.

"Oh, that's my little sister Andrea. She's totally insane but hey, i love her anyway," he said and smiled.

Relief washed over me. His sister! Good!

"Oh, that's cool," i said and smiled.

"I'll go get us some snacks," he said and walked into the kitchen. I stayed on the couch and Andrea rushed down again.

She plopped on the couch next to me and began tying her sneakers.

"Hey," she said when she noticed me.

"Hi," i said. "I'm Clare ."

"I know," she said with a smile and held out her hand. "I'm Andrea, Sean's sister."

"Nice to meet you," I said and shook her hand. "So, how do you know about me?" i asked.

"Sean just won't shut up about you! He says that you're the nicest, prettiest, most amazing person in the whole world! It would be really annoying, but he seems so damn happy!" she said and smiled.

I smiled back. "I really care about him too." i said.

"Good," she said and looked up as a horn honked outside. "Oh i have to go. But we should hang out later, you seem really cool."

"Thanks. You too. I'll see you later," i said as she ran off.

I walked into the kitchen and saw Sean putting some grilled cheese sandwiches on a plate.

"Here ya go!" he said and handed me a sandwich.

"Thanks," I said and took a bite. "You're sister seems really cool," i said after I swallowed.

"Yeah, I guess," he said and put the dishes in the sink.

"So, you talk about me," i said with a smile.

He blushed. "Of course, you're amazing." he said and kissed my cheek.

I put my dishes in the sink to and sat on the counter. He walked over and kissed me. "You're amazing too," i said when he pulled away.

He just smiled and kissed me again. I intertwined my fingers with his and continued to kiss him.  
The back door opened and we both pulled away.

"Sean?" A man's voice called.

"In the kitchen!" Sean replied.

A man walked in and saw me sitting on the counter with Sean infront of me.

"Um...Sean, this better be Clare ," the man said with a stern look.

Sean laughed. "It is. Clare , this is my Dad. Dad, this is my girlfriend Clare ." he said.

"Nice to meet you." His dad said and grabbed a drink out of the fridge.

"You too," I answered shyly.

"Sean never stops talking about you," he said and took a sip.

"So I've heard," I said and looked back at Sean. He was blushing so i pecked him on the cheek.

"Ok! Clare, I'm going to drive you home before my mom gets home and she can REALLY embarrass me." he said and pulled me towards the door.

"Bye Clare !" Sean's dad called.

"Bye!" I yelled as Sean pulled me outside.

"Finally!" he said once we got to his porch.

"What?" i asked.

"I wanted to do this but I couldn't do it in front of my dad." he said.

I looked at him in confusion.

He leaned down and kissed me deeply. I put my arms around his neck as we continued kissing.

"Son, I thought you said you were taking her home," Sean's dad said at the door. We spun around and saw him. I blushed scarlet and Sean just pulled me to his car.

"Sorry about that," he said smiling.

"It's okay," I said and kissed him on the cheek as he drove me home.

He pulled into the driveway and I looked up to see someone on the porch.


	5. Chapter 5

We stood there for a long time. We talked and I comforted. He cried a little, but was quick to wipe away any traces of the tears. He needed me. I would stay with him as long as he needed.

After a while, he forced a chuckle. "Thanks for staying with me. I'm sure I'm tons of fun to be around right now," he said sarcastically.

I smiled. "Don't worry. Who cares if you're fun to be around. You need someone to talk with and be there for you. I'll be that person," i said and took his hand.

He smiled. "Thanks," he repeated but then looked at the sun. It was almost below the horizon. "Come on, I'll walk you home." he said and began to walk.

We got to my doorstep and were still holding hands. He hugged me tight right before he pecked my cheek and left. I sighed and went inside.

Drew and Sean were sitting on the couch waiting for me.

"Where were you?" they asked at the same time.

"Whoa. How'd you do that?" I asked trying to avoid the subject.

"Don't change the subject." Drew said.

Crap, i thought. I sighed and then answered. "I was at the beach with Eli."

"Doing what?" Sean asked as I sat next to him.

"Talking. He needed to tell me something." i answered.

"What?" Sean asked curiously.

I bit my lip. "Oh, um, he wanted help with...his...science project!" I lied.

His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Don't worry!" I said and kissed him.

He sighed. "Fine." he said and got up. "I have to go home. See you tomorrow," he said and kissed me one more time before he left.

Drew looked at me with a question in his eyes.

"Well...Night!" I said and ran upstairs. I took a shower and got ready for bed, right before flopping down on my bed. I slowly drifted off to sleep.

I opened my eyes. It was morning. I sighed and got ready in a daze. Something was different about today. I shrugged it off and ran downstairs.

"Hey Clare," Drew said and smiled.

I grinned back. "Hey!" I said as I looked out the window. Huh. That was weird, Sean wasn't here yet.

"Oh, he had to go in to school early," Drew said noticing my confused expression.

"Oh..."I said, kind of upset.

"Wanna ride?" Drew offered.

"Sure! Thanks," I said as I followed him to his car.

Once we were in the car, Drew turned on the radio.

I wrinkled my nose. I hated this song. So I reached over and changed the station.

"Hey!" he said and changed it back.

"Nooo!" I whined and kept changing it.

We were both reaching toward the radio and Drew wasn't watching the road.

I looked up and saw a red truck coming straight at us from Drew's side.

"DREW! WATCH OUT!" I screamed but it was to late. The truck collided with us and then everything went black.

"Clare?" Sean's voice said.

I slowly opened my eyes. Where was I? The walls surrounding me were pale and there was a low beeping sound. I looked over to see some sort of monitor next to me. Then it all made sense, I was in a hospital room. The terrifying images of the car crash flooded back. I began hyperventilating.

"Shhh.. Clare, it's okay," Sean's voice said and he took my hand to calm me down. "It's over Clare. You're okay," he reassured me.

"Wh-what happened?" I stammered.

"You were in a car crash this morning," He explained. "I heard about it and rushed straight over here. You really scared me," he said and put his hand on my cheek.

"I'm sorry," I said. Then something hit me. "Wait, where's Drew?" I asked.

Sean looked down. "Um..." he began.

"Sean! Tell me!" I demanded.

He sighed and looked up at me. There were tears in the corners of his eyes. "He didn't make it," he said in a rough voice.

He...didn't...make...it... The words echoed in my head. NO! No no no! My thoughts were racing. Why Drew?! Why did he have to die?! It was my fault. I had to change the radio...he would be alive if I hadn't-

"He died almost instantly," Sean went on.

"No," I whispered and shook my head slowly as tears overflowed in my eyes. "He can't be," I sobbed.

"I'm so sorry Clare." Sean said and hugged me.

I sobbed into his chest. Drew my brother was gone. He couldn't be! It wasn't fair! Why?

I woke up with a start. I sat up straight in my bed. I was breathing heavily and my face was soaked with tears. A dream. It was only a dream. Where was Drew? I jumped out of bed and ran into his room. He was there in his bed fast asleep.

"DREW!" I yelled and jumped in his bed.

"AAHH!" He screamed. He rolled over, turned on the light and then glared at me. "WHAT are you DOING?" he asked in an annoyed voice.

I just hugged him. He seemed confused but hugged back. "What's wrong?" He asked while he rubbed my back.

"Nothing! I'm just so happy! You're alive!" I yelled.

"Um...Yeah. I love being alive too." he was very confused. "What happened?"

I sniffled. Tears of joy were running down my face. "I had a horrible dream! You were driving me to school, and we were fighting over the radio station. Then..." I paused. "A huge truck crashed into us. I woke up in a hospital, and Sean was there. He told me that...you...died," I choked out the last word.

He wiped the tears from my face. "It's ok. It was just a dream," he told me.

"I know," I answered and hugged him again.

"You should go to sleep now," He said and walked me back to my room.

"Thanks," I said. He just nodded and sleepily turned out my light. He dragged his feet back to his room and I heard him plop on his bed. I sighed in contentment. Just a dream, I thought and fell asleep.

School went by in a daze. Classes were boring, Sean was adorable. As I was at my locker with Ali and Imogen , Sean walked up.

"Hey baby," he said and kissed my cheek.

"AWWW!" Ali and Imogen said at the same time.

I pulled away. "Shut up," I said jokingly.

Ali stuck her tongue out at me so I started talking to Sean again.

"You excited for our date tonight?" he asked.

"Yes! Can't you tell me where we're going," I begged with a puppy dog lip.

"Awww...You're so cute!" he said and touched my nose. I smiled. "But I'm not telling."

I pouted. "Fine." I said and crossed my arms.

"I'll pick you up at your house." He said and kissed me. "Bye."

"Bye," I said and closed my locker. I leaned against it and smiled.

"He's taking you out on a date to a surprise spot? That's soooo romantic!" Ali squealed.

"I know," I said as we walked out of the building. Adam walked up to us.

"Hey," he said to me and then smiled at Ali.

"Hey lover boy," I said and rolled my eyes.

He looked back at me. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"You know," I said and got into Drew's car.

We drove home and I went to my room. I looked at all of my clothes and found a cute dress. I changed and ran a brush through my hair. As I was putting on a little lip gloss, I heard the doorbell. I slipped my feet in some cute flip flops and went to answer it.

"Hey," I said when I saw Sean.

"Hey. You look beautiful." he said and kissed me.

I pulled away. "Thanks, you don't look so bad yourself," I said as we walked to his car.

We drove to the beach. He took my hand and we walked down to a beautiful secluded spot. Under one of the trees, there was a table set for two with candles and flowers.

"It's beautiful," I whispered and walked up to the table.

"You're beautiful." he said and kissed me.

This date was going to be perfect. I could feel it.


	6. Chapter 6

This date was going to be perfect. I could feel it.

"You hungry?" Sean asked after we pulled away.

"Starved!" I said and took his hand as we walked toward the table.

"Well...then I'll just get our butler." he said with a smile.

"Butler?" I asked incredulously as Sean pulled out my chair.

"Yeah. I went all out." he said and smiled. He sat and then clapped his hands twice.

Adam ran out in a suit and tie. "Bonjour! And welcome to the beach! I'm Adam and I'll be your server this evening!" He said with a cheesy french accent.

I giggled. "Adam? Were they all out of GOOD butlers?" I joked.

Sean laughed but Adam just stuck his tongue out at me.

"So what do you want for dinner?" Sean asked.

Adam handed us menus and I read mine.

"Hm..." I said. "I'll have...the ravioli!" I said and smiled.

"Ok. And you Sean...I mean sir?" Adam asked.

"I'll have steak." he answered.

"Ok. I'll be right back with your food," Adam said and then walked off.

I laughed. "He's found his calling!" I said and laughed again.

"I know right?" Sean said and chuckled with me.

"How did you do all of this?" I asked gesturing to the elaborate table and the other decorations surrounding us.

"Drew, Adam, and I set it up," He explained.

"Here you go!" Adam said and placed our food in front of us.

"Thanks," We both said and began to eat.

"And don't forget, we DO accept tips here." Adam said and grinned.

"Ok." I said. "Get a better accent."

He gave me a look. "Ha ha. Funny!" he said and walked away.

Sean and I finished out meal and then he took my hand. "Let's go on a walk," he suggested.

"Okay," I said and began walking with him.

"I have to tell you something." He said and pulled me to a stop.

"What?" I asked kind of worried.

He took both of my hands and looked me straight in the eyes. "I love you," He said in a sure voice.

I looked at him and tears were in the corners of my eyes. "I love you too!" I said and threw my arms around his neck. I kissed him and he kissed me back.

Definitely the best date ever, I thought.

After we pulled away, I smiled at him.

"I'm so happy I finally told you," he said and kissed my forehead.

I smiled. "Me too." I looked in his eyes and kissed him again. We pulled away. "I love you," I said again.

"I love you too," he answered simply and grabbed my hand. He pulled me down the beach and sat close to the ocean. He just looked out at the waves and smiled. "This could be our spot," He said and smiled at me.

I grinned. "Okay," I said.

"So now," he said as he grabbed my hand. "If we ever want to just be alone, or spend time together, we can always come here."

I smiled at the thought and leaned my head against his shoulder. "You're amazing," I said and looked up at him.

"You're even better," he said and kissed me.

We didn't pull away this time when the rain started. We didn't care. It didn't even effect us. We were in our own world and nothing else outside of it mattered. The rain soaked our clothes and hair.

"Hey guys!" We heard Adam calling us over the sound of the rain.

We finally pulled away and looked at him.

"Come on! Let's get out of here!" Adam whined.

"Why can't he just go home?" I asked Sean.

"I drove him here," he said and sighed.

"Oh," I answered. "Well that's ok. Let's go," I said and smiled.

He smiled back. "Ok," he said and grabbed my hand.

We all ran back into Sean's car and got in. Adam slid in the back and I sat in the front. Sean drove us all back to my house and pulled into the driveway. We all ran inside to dry off.

As I changed into a dry outfit, my mind was in a daze. The thrill of first love I guess.

I was awoken in the middle of the night by the shrill ringing of my cell phone. I answered it sleepily.

"Hello?" I mumbled.

"Clare?" A hoarse voice asked.

It made me nervous. "Um, yeah. Who is this?" I asked.

"Eli," he answered.

"Oh hey. What's wrong?" i asked. He sounded horrible.

"I just got in a fight with my dad. Can you come see me?" he asked. His voice was strained, like he was trying not to cry.

"Of course," I agreed immediately. "I'll meet you at the beach?" I suggested.

"Yeah sure." He answered. I was about to hang up but he said something else. "Thanks, this means a lot."

I smiled but he couldn't see. "No problem. I'm happy to do it." I said and hung up.

I got out of bed quietly and got dressed in jeans and a sweater. It was kind of cold outside. I grabbed my cell, my house key and a flashlight because it was so dark outside. I thought about how to get outside quietly. Drew would never let me go if he found out. But I had to go see Eli. I decided that the trellis would be to dangerous without someone there to make sure I didn't fall.

I sighed and slowly walked down the stairs. I froze when they creaked, but I could still here Drew snoring. With that reassurance, I made it all of the way down the stairs and out the front door.

Once I was outside, I turned on my flashlight and began walking. The beach was eerie when it was all dark. You could only hear waves crashing in an ominous way. I heard someone walking and stopped suddenly.

"Eli?" I called cautiously.

"I'm over here," He said and I pointed my flashlight near the sound of his voice.

I saw him standing there with a black eye and blood trickling from his nose.

"Oh my God!" I said and ran over to him. "What happened to you?" I asked worried.

"I told you, I got in a fight with my dad." He said.

"H-he hit you?" I asked incredulously.

Eli just nodded. "Since Keith...passed, my dad's been drinking all of the time. Tonight, I got home late from Adam's and he was drunk and he freaked out. At first I was just shocked but then I hit back. I knocked him away hard enough and then just started running. Once I was far enough, I called you," he explained.

"Oh my gosh," I said and hugged him. He winced a little so I quickly pulled away. "Sorry," I murmured. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said noticing my concern. "Don't worry about me."

I shook my head. "No, too late. I'm really worried now! He can't just hit you! That's not okay!" I said and angry tears formed in my eyes.

He put his hand on my cheek. "Calm down," He said. "I'm fine."

"You're coming home with me," I decided and grabbed his hand.

"What?" he asked but followed.

"I'm not letting you go back there. You're going to come home with me and I'll help you get cleaned up and then you can stay the night." I informed him.

"That's really not necess-" he began.

"No." I just said and continued to drag him along.

He silently obeyed and I put my finger to my lips to remind him to stay quiet when we reached my house. I fumbled with the house key until the door opened. I could still hear Drew snoring so I guided Eli to the kitchen. As I flicked on the lights Eli followed me and sat in one of the chairs.

I took a towel and ran it under some warm water. I wrung it out and went back to Eli. He winced when I gently dabbed the blood under his nose to clean it up.

"Thanks for this," he said and watched me clean him up.

"No problem. I always help my friends," I answered him.

He grabbed my hand and I continued to tend to his injuries.

"What's going on here?" Drew asked from the doorway of the kitchen. His hair was messed up and he had just woken up. His eyes picked up our joined hands and he looked furious.

"Eli got hurt so I'm helping him," I said nonchalantly and continued cleaning the blood.

"At 4:00am?!" He demanded.

"Yes!" I snapped. "Just go back to bed."

"No! Okay, you're down here holding hands with another guy when you're dating my BEST FRIEND! I'm not going anywhere without some answers!" he yelled.

I looked away from Eli and glared at Drew.

"It's NONE of YOUR business!" I yelled back. Eli squeezed my hand gently to try and calm me down. I took a deep breath. "Just go back to bed...seriously," I said a bit calmer.

"No." He said and sat down. "Tell me exactly what's going on."

I looked to Eli who was looking down. "It's not my story to tell." I said quietly.

Eli locked eyes with me and I saw tears forming. "I can tell you," he said and turned to Drew.

"Are you sure?" I asked him.

"Yeah." he answered. He told his whole story from beginning to end, leaving out no details. My heart broke again listening to it.

Drew sat in silence the whole time. I saw his expression change from angry to guilty.

After Eli finished he finally spoke. "I'm so sorry man," He said and then turned to me. "Is that what caused your dream?"

I shrugged. "Maybe. It's pretty similar so it's possible."

"Huh?" Eli asked.

"I'll tell you later," I said. "Drew, we can't let him go back to his house if this is happening."

Drew nodded in agreement. "Eli, you think you can stay at Adam's?" he asked.

"Um...I'm not sure. My dad goes there every night to talk with Adam's parents..." he said.

Realization hit me. "He won't hurt Adam will he?" I asked in a deeply concerned voice.

"No, Adam will be ok," He assured me.

I sighed in relief. "Good." I said. "Can Eli stay here?" I asked Drew. "Just until we can get some help for his dad?"

Drew thought about it for a while. "I guess." he finally said.

"Thanks so much," Eli said his voice full of gratitude.

"No problem man, but do you need to go get your stuff?" he asked.

"Yeah, but I can get it tomorrow while my dad's at work." he said.

"Ok. I'll come with you." he said. "In case he IS home.''

"Thanks." Eli repeated.

Drew just nodded. "Ok. Well I'm gonna go set up the guest room. Clare, finish helping him out." he said and left the room.

I stood up and threw the towel in the laundry room. "You feeling any better?" I asked as I got some ice out of the freezer.

"Yeah," He said as I sat in front of him again.

I gently placed the icepack over his eye.

"Ow," he groaned.

"Sorry," I said.

"It's ok." he answered and paused. "Thanks for being here for me Clare. It really means a lot."

I smiled. "You're welcome." I said.

Like I said, as long as he needed, I'd be here.


End file.
